Engine-starter.



U. J. COLEMAN. ENGINE STARTER. APPLICATION FILED MAR.21,1913.

Patented July '7, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHE T 1 Il Il lli Il Isl/L WITNESSES "Hr M V mmm/Er C. J. COLEMAN.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION PILED MAR. 21, 1913.

Patented July '7, 1914.

2 BHBBTSSHBBT 2 eration J. "consimili, or Nnw ricorrente, nnw Yorin, .Assienon To CONRAD HUBERT,

` or :New YORK, Y.

ENGINE-STARTER.

moei-eee.

Speeication. of Letters Patent.

Patented July fr, 1914.

@riginal application filed March 29, 1907, Serial No. 365,353.6. I tenewed July 27, 1912, Serial No. 711,918.

" Divided and. this application filed March 21, 1913. Serial No. 755,879.

To @ZZ fte/0m 'it may concern [te 1t known that I, Chron J. COLEMAN, :i citizen of the United States, residing nt New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester ad Starte ott New York, here invented a. certain 'new and. useful iinproveinent in Engine-Starters, oit which the following is n speeifieution, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

The present application is divislonnl'of my application ttor patent for engine. stili-ter, whieh bex-nine Letters lntent No. 1,056,972, of Mureh 25, 191,3.

The inventimi. relates to engine stnrlers for stni'ting internal combustion engines, pnrtiifulurly those of automobiles, :und the present ilninovei'nenls relate to the mecha :nisni 'lier el'l'ecting the re-storing of the energy-stering device with energy 'und more [ni-itic1ilni'ly relnte to the rewil'rding meehnnisnl by which n, starter spring is uutomntically rlnvoinid by the engine.

The objects of my present invention ure siinpiicity oit construction, durnbility, re-

iinoility in operation :md other advantages which will hereinafter nppeu r.

11n carrying out my present invention, I ernl'iloy two-armed pivoted windingdogs, prehruhly oit sul'islnntinlly bell-crunk shape or ifshnpe. 'lier rotniti\.'ely eonluieting nn en- 'ffine-eonneeled part with un energy-storing devi c. one of' thn nrrus o'lI n dog being un enig arm :nul the other erin heilig endog- :ietinrtiug erin or roh-using nrni. lhefse dogs nre nrrnnged to have n bnis or tendeney to their engaging positions4 n nd are adapted to he relmmul by :i relenslng device coimeeted with the energy-taining device. nud such i'eleusing device is shown ns niovlnlfile longitudinally to engnge the inwnrdly-exten(ling dog-aul'uutiug urins ot` the dogs. l Also means nreprovided for iinpnrling to the disengaged dogs :i linnl ('.lenrnn'eeiinoviding lumennut, snc-.h inenns being shown ns :springs urrnngerl to fu-t in opposi tion to the dogengnging springs nitel'lthe dogs have been i'lisenguejed trein the enginecoi'ineeted part, nnd these clefrunceprovnh ing springs nre shown ns combined with tne ieleosiug dw if'e.

n? fl. han] lggcribef'he engine shirter enihodynzg my inwniion lin-:trailed in the accompanying d. 'awings :md shell thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure l is n longitudinal central verticel section otthe engine starter. Fig. l is n partiel cei'itrnl horizontal section on u plane indicated by the line lL-l of Fig. l. Fig. 2 is n side elevation ot one of the winding dogs. Fig. 3 is n transverse vertical section on n plaine indicated by the line 3-4 of Fig. 1 as viewed from the lett, showing the dog-releesing device in 'front elevation. Fig. 'l is the sinne section ns viewed in the opposite direction and shows the dog enrrier and winding block in rear elevation. Fig. 5 is n similar section on n pinne indicnted by the line .3-51015 Fig. 'l as viewed 'from the left :uid shows the winding block :rnd the dog carrier in front elevation. Fig. G is n Side elevntion, with other parts broken away, ol the dog-releasing device as viewed from the right in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 isa front elevntion of the dog-releasing annulus of the dog-releasing device. Fig. 8 is n -liront ele-- vntion, rotated through :t quarter rotation ns eoiupnred with the preceding figures, of the actuating sleeve of the dog-re1easing device. Fig. 9 is n vertical section of what appears in- Fig. S with the addition of eleurenee-providing springs und rind.

A starter shaft 1 1s adapted to he pernninently connected to the engine shaft by menus oi n coupling member 2 adapted to engage n cooperating coupling member on the engine shaft. A spring-winding sleeve il surrounds the starter shut't 1 nnd in which the starter slin't't rotntes freely when the sturter springs it nre in wound .conditiom lvly present invention relates to rewinding nwehuniszn' t'or nutonintienlly rotntively connecting together the starter shnift l and the :apririg-winding sleeve 3 to eii'eet the rewinding of the starter springs il utter n enginestarting operation, und for eutonniti'nlly disconnecting these parts when the starter springs halve been wound.

A winding block is keyed on the starter shaft l' and is provided :it its ends with ruhihet teeth (S, shining on one side nud hnving abrupt enguging t'nces nt the other side, :is-shown. A head or dog curi-ier 7 is keyed on the ndjneent end of the spring-winding sleeve?) und hns peripheral flanges just ont weird from the polli ot' the teeth (3 of the ,i extending inward toward the spring-winding sleeve 3 and an engaging armA extending longitudinally at the outside of the Winding block 5 normally in position to be engaged by the ratchet teeth 6 ot the engine-connectv ed winding block 5;. 1

The winding dogs 8 are pressed toward their positions of engagement with the teeth 6 by coiled thrust springs' 9 contained in sockets in the dog' carrier -7 and pressing against the front faces of the actuating arms of the dogs. when unrestrained, will hold the outer arms of thewinding dogs 8 inward in the paths of the teeth 6 of the Winding block 5, so that the starter shalt 1 is then rotatively connected to the spring-winding sleeve 3 to wind the starter springs. 4, and this is the position of the parts shown in, the drawings.

As means iortransmitting the winding movement of' the winding sleeve 3 to the starter springs 4, the winding sleeve 3 has i gear teeth which mesh with planetary gears 10 mounted on a Spring-locking disk 11 and carrying pinions 12 which mesh with internal gear teeth on a ratchet disk 13. External ratchet teeth on this disk 13 are engaged by spring-retaining pawls 14 pivoted on the locking disk 11,-'ior holding the starter springs'4 in wound condition. The ratchet disk 13 communicates the winding movement to a spring-carrying sleeve 15 'through the intermediary of spring-pressed relief pawls ldcarried by the ratchet disk 13 and coperative with ratchet teeth formed on the spring-carrying sleeve 15.l The function" oi the latter' ratchet connection is to prevent the momentum of the parts from carrying the starter springs beyond their unwound condition at the conclusion of the engine-starting operation. The' inner ends .of the spiral starter springs 4 are an chored to the spring-winding .sleeve 15 and their outer ends are anchored to a stationary casing 1T. In the-starter illustrated in the drawings, the starter shaft 1, as viewed.

. from thefront, rotates in a clockwise. direction, as indicated by the arrow in F ig. 1.

-During the winding of the starter springsv 4, theA spring-winding sleeve 3 partakes of the movement of the starter shaft 1, While the spring-carrying sleeve 15 will be rotated 1n .a reverse or .counter-clockwise direction through the above described reducing gearing, the lockingr disk 11 being held stationary by means or a peripheral brake band 18..

These dog-engaging springs 9,

incassa The means for automatically discontinuing the winding operation after the starter springs 4 have been wound will now be described. j'

An lexternally screw-threaded longitudinally movable non-rotative dog-actuating collar 19 is loosely'mounted on the spring- Winding sleeve' 3. The screw-threaded collar 19 atits. forward lend is connected for non-rotative longitudinal lost yfr'ttilbh move'- "nient with a flanged dog-releasing 'annulus byy meansl of longitudinal projections 19l on the collar 19 `engaging internal notches 20 in an interna'li'iangel 20'? of the releasing annulus 20, the'f'lrward end ofjjfthe collar 19 being arrangedto abut against the internal flange A20"'lofl the annullis 20, as most clearly appears irnF ig. la; and an annulusretracting ring- 21 is shown as secured by screws to the'ends of the projections 19 of the collar. 19""and adapted to engage the front side of the inwardly-extending iiange 20 on the annulus 20,as clearly -appears in the drawings.' The longitudinal lost n10- tion between the dog-releasing annulus 2O and the. screw-threaded collar L19 is adapted to be taken up by clearance-providing coiled thrust springs 22, shown as seated in lon- -gitudinal sockets or.v bores 19" in the front ofthe collar 19 and pressing against the rear lface oi the inwardly-extending flange 20"' of the (idg-releasing annulus 20. An outwardly-extending liange 20c on the vannulus 20 has peripheral notches 20l which slidably receive longitudinallyprojecting rotation-preventing prongs 23a' carried by'a stationary supporting bearing or journal box 23 for the adjacent end of the springcarrying sleeve 15, so that. the dog-releasing aunulus 20, and consequently also the screwvthreaded collar 19, are prevented from rotating, but are permitted to slide longitudinally, the bearing 23 having a flange' bolted to the starter casing 1T, as shown.

A nut 24 is fixed in' the spring-carrying sleeve 15 and Yengages the screw threads ot' the collar 19 to'impart longitudinal traveling movement to the"screw-threzuled collar upon the rotation of the nut 24 byv th^ spring-carrying sleeve, The direction ofthe interengaging screw-threads such that the counter-clockwise winding movement of the spring-carrying sleeve will cause. the collar 19 to travel outward carrvin with itthe dog-releasing annulus 2() under the pres sure of the clearance-providing springs 2S against the internal flange 20" of the annulus. The annulus 20 travels first idly 'across an intervening space, and then, near the end ofthe winding operation, into Contact with the inwardly-extending dog-releasing' arms of the spring-winding dogs 9. .is the col- -larl19 continues to travel outward the winding dogs 8 will not be at first. moved, being retained in engagement with the teeth 6 of 4the winding block 5 'by friction, but the continued movement of the collar 19 will comprese the olearance-:providing springs 22 until the traveling collar '19 has covered the tree `space or lost motion provided between the forward end ofthe collar 19 and the internal flange 20h. of the `annulus Q0 at 'the rear of the latter (see Fig. 6).. After the springe 22 have been compressed and .this lost motion is taken np the forward end of the collar 19 will come into Contact with theinternal'lange 20"V of the annnlus Q0 at the rear thereof and lwill Tpositively move the annulus 20 andthe annulus 20 will impart positive pivotal movement to the winding dogs 8. .and will disengage their outer arms `trom the teeth 6 of the winding block 5. Thereupon .the winding of the starter springs 4 will be discontinued, the starter shaft l and winding block 5 continuing Ito rotate with the engine, whilerotation of the spring-winding Sleeve 3 and its ndjnncts, in eluding the head ordog carrier 7 and Wind -ing doge 8, will cease.

It is desirable to have a substantial elearanee space between the now stationary disengaged winding doge 8 and the teeth 6 of the rotating windlng block 5, to obv-iate any rubhing and wear of these parts. Upon the disengagement of the Winding dogs 8 from the teeth 6, the clearance-providing springsQQ will take up the lost motion between the collar 19 and the annulus Q0, thereby imparting a further'forward movement to the annulus 20, this .further movement being com-- municated by the annulus 20 to the Winding dogs 8` to move them to-positions of complete clearanoeiin relation to the teeth 6 of `the Winding block 5.

When the starter `eprlngs 4 arefper'mitted to iuiwind in starting the engine, the spring-` carrying outer sleeve 15 will be rotated by these springs in a clockwise direction, -as' viewed from the front, carryin with it the nut 24, which will retract or raw inward. the dog-actuating collar 19. The collar 19 will correspondingly move the annulus '20 rearwardly,through the engagement of the annulusretracting ring 21 with the internal flange of the annulus. The'irst part of the rearward movement of the annulus 20 will remove restraint from the dog-engaging springs 9 and permit them to return the` winding dogs S to their engaging or springwinding positions in vthe path of and ready for engagement by the ratchet teeth G of the winding block 5. During the engine-starting operation,the spring-whirling sleeve 3 and the starter shaft l. will be rotated together by reason of the gear and pawl conneetions at the rear of the starter, and after thecompletion of the starting operation and before rewinding ot the starter springs 4- be gins the spring-'winding sleeve 3 will be' turned idly by the winding dogs 8.

To bring the starter springs Il into action for Starting the engine, the brake baud 18, which is normally spring-pressed to engaging position, is released, as by pressing n pedal. With the brake hand 18 released, the spring-locking disk ll may rotate through the impulse oi the locked spring-retaming pawls 14, the ratchet disk 115 and the locking disk 1l rotating as a unit and carrying lwith them, in an idle condition, the intermediate planetary gears l0 and l2 and the winding sleeve 3. The locking disk ll i1nparts its rotation to the starter shaft l through starting pawls 25 piroted on the locking disk ll and engageable with ilu teeth of a ratchet wheel S26 keyed on the starter shaft l.

The reivinding ot the starter springe i will. not begin until the brake band 18 has been permitted to lock the springloclcing disk 11, Vbut this locking disk will be idly rotated through the gearing. However, as soon as the locking disk 1 1 is `1oeked,winding of the starter springs 4- Will take place through the reducing-gearing, as hereinbefore explained, the winding dogs 8 having been automatically4 released ready for engugeln'ent. Ae soon as the rewinding begins, the screw-threaded dogeictuating collar 1f) begins its outward t "avel, resulting in `the disengagement o the winding dogs 8 at the completion of the winding operation, as has been herein'before explained.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made inv the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention.

I claimt- 1'. An engine starter having, in combina tion, an energy-storing device, means for connecting said device with an engine to start the engine, means for connecting the engine with .said device to `re-store the device with energy comprising a` part rotatively connected with the engine, a rotary,Y doglcarrier connected with the energy-storing device, a dog pivoted on the dog carrier having an engaging arm adapted lo be en ,ga-ged by the engine-connected part to restore the device with energ f and also having a releasing arm, and a releasing device connected with the energy-storing device and acting to move the releasing arm ot the dog to disengage the engaging arm oi from the engineeoiniected part upon the completion of the energy-storingl operation.

2. An engine starter having, in combinaN tion, an energy-storing device., nieane` for 'connecting said device with an engine to engine with said device to re-etore the device with energy comprising a part rotatively 'connected with the engine, a rotary dog car- 4rier connected with the energy-stoiing deille dog start the engine, means for connecting the an angulcr dog pivoted on the dog c irrrier having an engaging arm adapted to be engaged by the engine-connected part to rei-storethe devicedvitli energy and having aar'eleasing arm projecting at an angle to thefengaging arm, and a releasing device cormected vvith the energy-storing v.device andacting to move the releasing arm et the dog to disengage the engaging arm of the dog -froni the enginefconnected part upon the completion of the energy-storing operation.

3. An engine starter having, in combina tion, an energy-storing device, means forl connecting said device with an engine to start the engine, means for connecting the engine with said device to re-store the device With energy7 comprising a part rotatively connected with the engine, a 'rotary dog eafrrier connected with the energy-storing fdeyfrsian L-sliaped d og pivoted on the dog carrie): and having a bias to the engaging position, one arm of the dog being adapted to be engaged by the engine-connected part and the other arm being a dog-actuating arm', and a dog-releasing device connected with the energy-storing deviceand operative' to engage and move thelactuating arm of the dog to disengage the dog from the engine-ccnnected part upon the completion of the energy-storing operationand to p'ermit the return of the dog to engaging pcsi-v tion upon the use of the energy-storing device' in an engine-starting operation.

4. An engine starter having, in combination,"an energy-storing device, means ior connecting said device with an engine to start the engine, means for connecting the engine Withsaid device to restore the device With energy comprising a part rotatively connected withv the engine, a rotary dog carrier connected with the energy-storing .device and provided with youtwardlydirected. slots, Lshaped dogs pivoted on the dog carrier to move inthe slots and having leach an4 inwardly-extending dog-actuating arm and a longitudinally-extending engaging arm adapted to be engaged by the outer -portion of the engine-connected part, dog.

engaging springs .acting tomove the dogs to the engaging position in relation to 'the engine-connected part, and a dog-releasing device movablel longitudinally and connected with the energy-storing device to be moved*longitudinally thereby in one di-v rection to move the-actuating arms of the dogs and thereby disengage the dogs' from l rection to permit vthe dog-engaging springs the engine-'connected part upon the completion of the energy-storing operation and to be moved longitudinally in the other dl- .to return the dogs to ig'aging position upon Vthe use ofthe energy-storing device in an engine-starting operation.

F engine starter having, in combination, an energy-storing device, means for connecting said Ydevice with an engine to start the engine, means for connecting the engine with said device to re-store the device with energy comprising a part rotatively connected with the engine, a rotary dog car-l rier connected with the energy-storing device, a dog on the dog carrier arranged to be engaged by the engine-connected part to restore the device with energy, a releasing device connected with the energy-storing device and acting to disengage tlie dog from the engine-connected part upon the. completion of the energy-storing operation, and clearance-providing means loperative to mo've the dog to a position of clearance in `relation to the vengine-connected part after the dog has been disengaged from the engine-connected part.

G. An engine starter having, in combination, an energy-storing device, means for 4connecting said energy-storing device with an engine to startthe engine, means for connecting the engine with said device to restore the device With energy comprisinga part rotatively connected With the engine, a rotary dog carrier connected with the energy-storing device, 4dogs on the dog carrier arranged to be engaged by the engineeconnected part to re-store the .device with energy, springs connected vWith the dogs and cting to move tliem toposti'ons of engagement with the engine-connected part, a releasing device connected With the energystoring device and acting-to disengage the dogs from the engine-connected part upon the completion of the energy-storing operation and to permit the ldog-engaging springs to return the dogs to the engaging position upon the use of the energyfstoring device in an enginefstarting operation, and clearance providing springs acting in opposition to v engine with said device to re-store the device -With energy comprising a part rota- 4tively connected with the engine, a rotary dog carrier connected With the energy-storing .deviceanld provided With outwardly-di rected slots, L-shaped dogs pvoted on the dogcarrier to move in the 'slots and having u each an inwardly-extending dog-actuating arm and a longitudinally-extending engaging arm adapted to beengaged by the outer portionl of the engine-connected part, dogengaging springs actingI to move the dogs to the engaging position in relation to the engineconnected part, adog-releasing de- 1vice movablelotuallly and it@ with the energy-storing device to be moved longitudlnally thereby in one direction'to move the actuating arms of the dogs and thereby disengagethc dogs from the engineconnected part upon the con'iplyetion ot' the energy-storing operation and to be moved longitudinally in the other direction to permit the dog-engaging springs to return the dogs to engaging position upon the use of the energy-storing device in an engine-starting operation, and clearance-providing springs acting in opposition tothe dog-engagingsprings to impart to the dogs a further clearanee-providing movement after the dogs have been disengaged from the engineconneeted part.

8. An engine starte-r having, in combination, an energy-storingI device, means for connecting said energy-storing device with an engine to start the engine, means for connecting the engine with said device to restore the device with energy comprising a part rotatively connected with the engine, a rotary dog carrier connected with the energy-storing device, dogs on the dog carrier arranged to be engaged 4by the engine-connected part to re-store thc device with energy, springs connected with the dogs and acting to move them to positions of engagement with the engine-connected part, a releasing device connected with the energystoring device and acting to disengage the dogs from the engine-connected part upon the completion of the energy-storing operation and to permit Athe dog-engaging springs to return the dogs to the engaging position upon theuse of the energy-storing device in an engine-starting operation, and clearance-providing springs combined with the releasing device to impart to the dogs a. :further clearance-providing ,movement after the dogs have been disengaged from the engine-connected part.

9. An engine starter having, in combination, an energy-storing' device, means for connecting said device with an engine to start .the engine, means for connecting the engine with said device to re-store the device with energy comprising a part rotatively connected with the engine, a rotary dog car'rier'connected .With the energy-storing device, ldogs on the dog carrier arranged to be engaged by the engine-connected part to re-store the device with energy, springs connected with the dogs and acting to move them 4to positions of engagement with the engine-connected part,` a releasing member for disengaging the dogs from the engineconnected part, an actuating part having a lost motion connection with the releasing member and connected with the energy-storing device so as to impart dog-disengaging` movement to the actuating member upon the completion of the energy-storing operation, and clearance-providing springs acting after the disengagement of the dogs to take dog carrier connected with the energy-sten.

ing device and provided with outwardlydirccted slots, L- shaped dogs pivotcd on the dog carrier to move in the slots and having each an inwardly-extending dog-actuating arm vand a longitudinaily-extending enH'agLv ing arm adapted to be engaged by the outer portion of the engine-connected part, dogcngaging springs acting to nove t 1e dogs to the engaging position in relation to the engine-connected part, a dog-releasing device movable longitudinally and connected with the cmirgistoring device to be inoved longitudinally 'thereby in one direction to move the zurtuating arms of the dogs and thereby dscngago the dogs from the engine-connected-part upon the completion of the energy-storing operation and to be moved longitudinally in the,other-direction to permit the dog-engaging springs to ret-urn the dogs to engaging position upon the use of the energy-storing device in an engine-starting operation,J and clearance-providing springs combined with the releasing device to impart to the dogs a further clearanceproviding movement after`the' dogs have been disengaged from the engine-conucctcd part.

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

` IIARRYNQLLEWIS,

BnnNAnCwAN.' 

